Welcome to Guinea Pigs Online
http://surf.to/guineapigs Welcome to Guinea Pigs Online. This site is managed by [email protected].

The purpose for this website is to educate others who do have guinea pigs about how to care for the little creatures. Make sure you check out all the links and sign the guestbook. All suggestions, comments or criticism is appreciated. E-mail me at [email protected].

HAY

Guinea pigs need a diet rich in fiber to help digestion. A constant supply of hay is essential because it provides the fiber that guinea pigs need without an excess of calories. It is wise to buy a hay rack to hang on the side of the cage; hay left on the cage floor will easily become soiled (and moldy) from urine. You can basically feed a guinea pig as much hay as it will eat.


Timothy hay is a very popular hay, as is any sort of grass hay. Alfalfa hay is very good, although it contains a high level of calcium, which is suspected to lead to bladder stones. Feed alfalfa hay only occassionally, or mix it in with another hay for a little variety. Don't think that alfalfa is bad for your guinea pig--it's fine as long as it's not the primary hay that you provide.

FOODS:

First, a few things to remember: guinea pigs need vitamin C, and too much calcium in their diet may be harmful. Only use feed formulated specifically for guinea pigs and only for guinea pigs; no ?catch-all? small animal feed has the right nutritional balance. Treats are fine for guinea pigs, if given only occasionally--they are often high in fat. Flavored wood treats and alfalfa cubes are good for helping your guinea pig's teeth, but treats with seeds in them can be dangerous.

Pelleted feed is the primary source of food available for guinea pigs. Unfortunately, vitamin C degrades rapidly once added to food, so many of the bags on pet store shelves will not have adequate vitamin C. It is wise to supplement C in the water, and provide fresh vegetables that are high in C. Several feeds contain added nuts and sunflower seeds; avoid these, since they contain a lot of fat, and seeds can cause a guinea pig to choke. Like hay, pellets can be left in the cage for the guinea pig to eat as needed. Provide a sturdy, heavy container, preferably wider on the bottom than the top, to prevent your guinea pig from tipping it over. Don?t use a large dish, since guinea pigs--especially babies--are notorious for sitting in the food dish.

VEGETABLES

In addition to hay and pelleted feed, provide your guinea pig with some fresh raw vegetables daily. There is no steadfast amount for feeding vegetables to guinea pigs; a couple lettuce leaves, a quarter of an apple and a small carrot would be about right. For those of you who may want to chop the veggies into "piggy portion" pieces, I would estimate about 1/2 cup per guinea pig, plus greens. I fill two ceramic custard cups for my four girls, and throw in about 3 or 4 leaves of lettuce. If your guinea pig gobbles up all the food on the spot, feed a little more; if there's still food sitting around for hours, feed less.
Experiment with different vegetables; use this list to start, and find what your guinea pig likes. Don't feed too much fresh veggies, because it will cause diarrhea. Make sure all fresh vegetables are washed and free of pesticide residue. And never feed moldy or rotten vegetables to your guinea pig!




  • Apples, all types

  • Asparagus

  • Broccoli*

  • Brussels sprouts

  • Cabbage: regular, bok choy, or savoy**

  • Carrots

  • Cauliflower*

  • Celery

  • Dandelion greens

  • Greens: kale, collards, mustard or chickory*

  • Lettuce: romaine, red leaf***

  • melons, except watermelon

  • Oranges and lemons*

  • Parsley*

  • Peas, in pod*

  • Peppers, sweet: red, green or yellow *

  • Radicchio

  • Radishes

  • Swiss chard - in small amounts

  • Tomatoes

  • Turnips, with greens

    WATER

    Water must be constantly available to your guinea pig, period. Don?t provide water in a dish; you?ll have a wet piggy and bedding and poop in the water. Get a sipper bottle with an aluminum tube, since guinea pigs nibble the end. They will also play with the bottle, which leads to dribbling and wet bedding.

    It is very important to change the water daily, and clean it weekly. To clean, use a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water; don't use commercial cleaners, since they are toxic to guinea pigs. Make sure to remove mold from inside the bottle if it forms.


    I cannot stress this enough: If you supplement your water with Vitamin C, it must be changed daily. Vitamin C degrades very rapidly in water. Ascorbic acid in powder form works beautifully, as does any water-soluble C vitamin. Don?t crush children?s vitamins or orange drink powder (such as Tang) into the water; they contain sugar and are harmful to your guinea pig.

    I use Quintrex Aqua-C, from Nutritional Research Assoc. They also make Cavy-lets feed: Based in Indiana, US: (800) 456-4931.     GUINEA PIG FOODS This site has been visited :